Cause and Consequence
by I am Lu
Summary: May and Drew have danced around their feelings toward each other for years—but when a backstage kiss escalates into something far more intimate, they're forced to confront the uncertainties of their rivalry and their relationship. Contestshipping. A story told in three parts.
1. I: Cause

**Part I: Cause**

"Okay, your registration is complete," the desk receptionist said kindly through her heavy Kalosian accent, sliding the trainer license and a small key across the desk. "You'll need to report back to the Contest Hall by noon. The appeals round begins at 1 p.m. The key is to the locker in stall 6A in the ladies' dressing room."

"Thank you very much," May said, beaming at her as she stowed her license away in her wallet again and attached the key to her purse. "By the way, do you have any recommendations for food in the city? Someplace close?"

"Oh, sure," the receptionist said. "There are many different restaurants and cafés in Lumiose City, but if you're here for the first time, you _must_ try the Lumiose Galette."

"Lumiose Galette?" May perked up.

"It's a popular local treat," the receptionist elaborated. "The nearest stand is located on the North Boulevard, just outside Autumnal Avenue."

May was intrigued. She had an affinity for sweets, no matter the time of a day, and she _especially_ adored local specialties—something she'd never be able to eat back home in Hoenn. That was the fun part of traveling. She had no idea where North Boulevard or Autumnal Avenue were... but she'd figure that out.

"All right!" May said. "I'll be sure to check it out. Thank you."

"Anytime. Good luck with the contest this afternoon."

It was May's third week in Kalos and her second day in Lumiose City. She had arrived yesterday evening to the glimmer and glamour of the city's nightlife, but now, she wanted to soak in some of the daytime culture. Kalos had, thus far, been host to her new favorite contest circuit, if only because she loved traveling the region. In fact, regardless of the result of today's contest, May planned to extend her stay in Lumiose a little longer, just to see and enjoy more of the city.

On her PokéNav, May looked up the exact address for the Lumiose Galette stand and set her digital map in motion to guide her there. She was in no hurry, though. Noon was several hours away, and there was so much to see. She peered through the windows of several fashionable boutiques, every so often taking a mental note that she would drop by again later, and passed by a wide variety of different stores for trainers and Pokémon alike. It was only the dull throbbing her hunger that compelled her to take no full detours.

Soon, she came upon the stand, and it had quite the line—an excellent sign, in May's mind. Sure, long lines meant long waits, but long lines also usually meant the long wait was worth the time. May closed her PokéNav and immediately fell into place. She waited with anticipation, for the closer she moved up the counter, the stronger the scent of the warm, sweet pastry became.

Finally, it was her turn.

"One, please," May politely requested of the cashier. The menu had only one item—the Lumiose Galette itself—another good sign. One item, only one, and the stand was still so popular, so it had to be delicious.

"Make that two."

The voice, so very familiar to her, caused May to snap straight up in surprise. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Drew standing over it. He smiled at her, and May's heart thrummed in response. She couldn't help it; this was the first she had seen of her long-time rival since competing in the latest Hoenn Grand Festival, and given what had happened there, anyone with a heartbeat would have felt similarly.

At least, anyone in their situation.

"My treat," Drew added, pulling out his wallet. The cashier smiled tamely at him and nodded—May suspected she didn't speak much of their language—before accepting his cash and handing them their desserts.

"I was _wondering_ when I would run into you," May said after stepping away from the counter with Drew. Her full attention was locked on him; her newly purchased Lumiose Galette, as excited as she had been to try it, had been reduced to a mere prop in her hand now that Drew had appeared. "I knew I would eventually because you said you were going to Kalos, too… but still! It's been so long."

"It's only been a month."

"A month is a long time," May said. Finally remembering the existence of her treat, the whole reason she had come down this way, she held up the pastry and took a large bite, savoring the flavor. _Delicious_. It was wonderfully sweet, with a hint of cinnamon. Drew watched her, still leaving his own galette untouched.

"So what brings you here?" May asked after another moment.

"The contest, same as you," Drew answered as if it were obvious.

"Well, _yeah_ ," May replied with the same plain tone. "Of course. But I meant down _here_. You don't exactly strike me as a sweets person."

Drew blinked, glanced down at his treat, then looked back up at her. "I like sweets just fine," he said. He took a bite of his own pastry to prove his point. After swallowing, he added, "It was just convenient I caught you at the counter."

"Are you implying you only said 'hi' so you wouldn't have to wait in line?" May teased.

"Maybe," Drew said, equally teasing, and May, of course, knew from the tone of his voice that he _had_ actually come to see her. He lifted his hand to May's face and, with a deft flick of his thumb across her lower lip, wiped away a crumb that was stuck to it. He leaned in a little closer before adding, "But… it is nice running into you."

May felt a tickle of warmth rise in her chest and throat at his touch. She smiled and looked at him expectantly, but he ended up leaning back into place. May furrowed her brow in response, but, with a breath, quickly recollected herself. Realization then struck her.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. Drew blinked as she, contorting her body to balance her open purse on her hip so as to not drop her galette, pulled out a brand-new ribbon case. "You'll be proud to know…" she began a little dramatically, "... I've earned my first ribbon!" She flashed it in his face, and he reeled back—just a little.

"So you have," he said. "What contest?"

"The one in Santalune City," she said. "I got it my first week in Kalos, actually!" She tilted her head, just a little, before asking, "How many do you have?"

He shrugged off the question. "What does it matter?" he said lightly. He paused for a moment, then added, "Anyway, I have to go get ready for today's contest."

May's shoulder's sagged, and she frowned. He already wanted to go? But they had just run into each other again. And, well, she thought he had wanted to see her, especially because of what happened last time...

"Don't you want to catch up?" she asked.

"Later," he grunted, turning. "See you, May."

He left in a hurry, and May watched him go. Just before she watched him disappear into the throng of daytime shoppers, she saw him toss the remainder of his galette into a trash bin. She gaped a little. He had only taken a single bite; she would have finished it for him.

May huffed and turned away, stalking up the street in the opposite direction. She took a large, angry bite of what remained in her own galette. She would never understand Drew. Even through all the years they had known each other, she still hadn't cracked him—or their relationship.

She thought, after the Hoenn Grand Festival, she had been closer to figuring him—to figuring _them_ —out.

"What are you doing out here all alone?" May had asked, a little playfully, as she ventured onto the balcony outside the ballroom where the Grand Festival's afterparty was being held. Drew, leaning over the railing, tossed a glance over his shoulder at her.

"You know me," Drew said. "I'm not wild about parties."

"Yeah, yeah," May replied with an exasperated smile. "But you actually _showed up_ to this one."

"Don't get too excited. I just came to confer with my rival, nothing more."

"Aw, I'm flattered," May said, standing beside him and leaning over the railing, too. "Confer over what?"

She suddenly found a rose in her face. She saw Drew smile winningly from behind the petals and say, "Solidad wasn't going to give this to you for me, so I had to do it myself." May gently accepted the rose, gazing at it with affection, before looking back up at Drew. He added, "You did a nice job today."

May laid her hand on his arm, resting on the railing. "Thank you," she said with as much sincerity as she could muster. "It was a well-fought battle. You deserved the win."

He didn't say anything. May waited for him to do so, but he didn't. They stared at each other for a while, until he eventually leaned in close to kiss her. May didn't shy away; she kissed him back, moving her hand up his arm to grasp it. Even when they broke apart, May quickly rose up again to recapture his lips.

It didn't matter if anyone saw them. Who cared? It seemed everyone believed they were an item anyway, and as far as May was concerned, they might as well have been at that point.

"Where are you headed next?" Drew asked in a low rumble after the second kiss ended. He was still mere inches from her face.

"Kalos," May breathed.

"I'll see you there, then." He untangled himself from her and walked away, leaving May in a daze. With a thrilled breath, she turned and leaned her back against the railing to watch him go.

That wasn't the first time he had kissed her. It had been the first time in _a while_ admittedly, but even in the space of time since then, their conversations had teetered between the standard banter of competitive rivals and the flirtatious teasings of romantic interests. They never seemed able to commit to one narrative.

By the time noon rolled around in Lumiose City, May had already let go of some of her frustration—or, at the very least, had managed to set it aside. She couldn't concern herself with Drew's _moodiness_ when she had a contest to win.

In May's experience, the contests in Kalos most closely resembled the contests in Sinnoh with their high emphasis on exhibitionistic moves and combinations in both the appeals and battle rounds, as well as the expectation that both the coordinator and the Pokémon present a unified act. Everyone dressed up. The major difference was that unlike the august fashion that characterized Sinnoh contests, Kalos coordinators' wardrobes were a little more contemporary. Not that May minded; she liked the modern look.

Since she planned to use Blaziken as her primary partner throughout the day, she sported a fiery red two-piece dress that stopped a cut below her mid-thigh but revealed generous sliver of her midsection. Her friend Dawn had pushed for the purchase before May departed to Kalos, but today's contest would be the outfit's official debut.

After May stepped out of her dressing stall, she milled around in the ladies' backroom for a bit, mostly just to admire some of the other outfits and maybe also scout out the competition a little. She was feeling pretty hot after winning her first ribbon at her first contest in Kalos, and she wanted to see herself start a winning streak. May wanted to feel ahead, for once.

Eventually, she meandered again into the main backstage area. May intended only to continue her people-watching activities, but it wasn't long before she spotted Drew on a lone bench with Roserade, feeding her some PokéBlock. May felt the residual aggravation from that morning rise in her chest, and her first instinct was to turn away and head back into the ladies' room—but she halted herself.

No. She wasn't going run just because she was still a little annoyed. Besides, maybe Drew had cooled off from whatever had bothered him that morning, and he'd be in the mood for actually interacting. She turned toward him again and watched as Roserade handed him a fresh, deep red rose; Drew immediately thanked her before pinning the flower to his black vest. May couldn't help but smile before she approached him.

"You look pretty sharp," she complimented. He turned a wary eye to her, but she went on, "The light green really matches well with Roserade." She was referencing the dress shirt he wore beneath his vest, a faint, minty color that, now that May was looking at him directly, also brought out the stunning hue of his emerald eyes.

"Thanks," he said with some stiffness. His piercing gaze passed over her, and suddenly, May felt a little vulnerable. "You clean up nice yourself."

May managed a grin.

"You like it?" she asked, twirling her hips a little to show off the billowy chiffon layers.

"It's nice," Drew conceded, pulling out a Poké Ball to return Roserade. As soon as she had immaterialized inside the device, May took her spot on the bench, crossing one leg over the other and resting her chin atop both of her fists. A frown tugged at the end of Drew's lips.

"So, are you using Roserade for today's contest?" she asked. "That ought to be interesting, it's—"

"—Look, May," Drew suddenly and exasperatedly cut her off. "I don't really want to do this right now."

May straightened up.

"Do wha—?"

"—You're a nice girl," he went on, "but I need to concentrate."

With a few simple words, May felt her spirit shatter into a hundred tiny pieces. A nice girl. That was all she was, huh? A nice girl, someone nice to kiss, sometimes, someone to string along on coy teases and free galettes. A nice girl—not even his rival.

May abruptly stood, bristling.

" _Fine_ ," she hissed before turning sharply on her heel and heading straight back into the ladies' dressing room.

May stayed there even as the contest began and the coordinators filed into the main backstage area, where there were televisions. She was alone in the room, save the occasional competitor or two who popped back inside to fix their hair or re-do their lipstick. May did not care to see Drew at all again that afternoon, so she was content to simply listen to Marion Meridian's appeals commentary over the PA system. She knew where she was in the line-up, and she would move out to get into the queue when the time came.

The result of her solitude, however, was stewing. _That Drew_. The more she tried not to think about him, the more she did. What was his _problem_? How could he be so intimately charming one moment and then distant and cold the next? What was she to him, even? He had been the one to initiate their first kiss, ever, back when they were still kids, and May was certain if she counted all their kisses on her fingers, she would find he was usually the initiator—though May had grown braver in recent years.

May forced herself out of her cycle of thoughts when she heard Marion call Anaïs Laurent to the stage. May had no idea who she was, but she had memorized the name and was waiting for it to be called. Her turn was coming up.

May stood again, re-adjusted her dress, and briskly left the room. She only passed through the main backstage area, lest she risk running into Drew, and headed straight for the hall leading toward the main stage. There, she would wait. She pulled out Blaziken's Poké Ball and stuck a Flame Seal on the top. May then pressed her lips close to the release button, murmuring, "You're going to do great out there. Let's make each other proud, okay?"

The not-too-distant cheers of the audience indicated that Anaïs had just finished her appeal. A few minutes later, Anaïs herself—a rookie coordinator from the look of her—stumbled down the hall, absolutely beaming. May offered her a congratulatory and encouraging smile before turning her attention to the stage again.

" _Next, we have a former Top Coordinator joining us on stage! Please give a warm welcome to the Princess of Hoenn, May Maple!_ "

Thoughts of Drew vanished the moment she stepped onto the sunlit stage to the welcoming shouts of her audience. May's smile widened to a grin, and she waved before brandishing Blaziken's Poké Ball.

"Blaziken, take the stage!" she cried out. The seal broke, and Blaziken emerged in an impressive fiery display. May quickly called her first command: "Use Overheat!"

Before the pageant of seal flames had fully faded, Blaziken's entire body began to glow a bright red color. He then released a giant fiery inferno above him, at which point May called out, "Now, Blaziken, use Sky Uppercut!" Blaziken promptly leapt and struck the massive fireball, dispelling it in a spectacle of his own power. He landed on his own two feet effortlessly, and the crowd broke into unbridled roars of approval.

Marion made some type of comment, but May couldn't even hear her over the crowd, so she just smiled again and took a bow in unison with Blaziken. May then looked up at the screen and was delighted to see the judges' scores: an 8.9, a 9.7, and a 9.3 for a total of 27.9 points. This time, May _did_ hear when Marion said it was the highest score of the day.

May left the stage brimming with an excited energy. The highest score of the day thus far! She was surely well on her way to her second ribbon and her coveted win streak. Her satisfaction in her own achievement was such that she felt like reveling in it—just a bit. Rather than head immediately back into the ladies' dressing room again, she went into the main backstage area with the intent of finding Drew.

She found him where she left him. She didn't talk to him; she didn't even approach him. She just managed to catch his eyes and flash him a proud smirk. He looked annoyed, which was exactly what May wanted. Gratified, May turned on her heels away from him, toward one of the television screens. Why should she let Drew chase her into the solitude of the dressing room? No, she would stay here, just so she could bask in her victorious performance in his presence a little longer.

It was only a few appeals later, though, that she spotted Drew from the corner of her eye leaving, probably to get ready for his own appeal. May pressed her lips together and flicked her gaze toward the screen again, more attentive than ever. Surely, within a few minutes, Drew was on the screen with Roserade at his side.

" _Roserade, use Petal Dance!_ " he ordered. The stage was cloaked in a ethereal cascade of pale pink petals, though not for long. Drew called for a Solar Beam, incinerating the flora in a dazzling display.

It was a routine May recognized well. He broke it out only every so often to ensure it never went stale, and it was always a crowd-pleaser—and judges tended to love it, too, for its use of the open-stage format. May held her breath as the scores were announced: 9.4, 9.0, and 9.6.

28 points exactly. Only a tenth of a point ahead of her. May pursed her lips. So much for her having the highest score.

Minutes later, Drew was backstage again—and apparently feeling more chatty because he immediately went to May to strike up a conversation. "Impressed?" he asked, looking quite pleased with himself.

May's arms were folded, and she looked deeply irritated.

"I suppose," she answered stiffly. "It's nothing I haven't seen before."

"You can't mess with a classic," Drew said with a roll of his shoulders. He then plucked the rose Roserade had given him off his vest, holding it out toward May. "For you—you did well, too. It matches your outfit."

May didn't accept the flower. Rather, she looked at him incredulously.

"Are you _serious_?" she asked, the anger rising in her voice, and Drew straightened up. "Oh, so now you want to get all flirty again now that you're secure in the thought you're still better than me?"

Drew visibly tensed up.

"May, I—" he started.

"—No," May cut him off, her heart rising in her throat. "No, just forget it. Just forget—" She made a sweeping gesture between them. "—whatever _this_ is. I'm done."

And with those cutting words, May turned away and left him bewildered and with a rose still in hand.


	2. II: Conjunction

**Note:** This chapter has been edited to fit within FFN's standards of acceptability for M-rated fiction. An unedited version is available on my Tumblr blog. You may find a link on my profile.

* * *

 **Part II: Conjunction**

May was fighting tears as she stormed back into the safety of the ladies' dressing room—but her efforts were in vain, for the moment she crossed the threshold, they started to drip down her cheeks in protest. She sniffled and collapsed on an open chair before a mirrored wall, burying her face into her arms against the counter.

She couldn't make much sense of what she was feeling, other than she felt _bad_. She was angry, she was hurt, she was sad, she was frustrated—and all of those emotions, and more, were welling up in her eyes. She just needed to cry. She just needed to get all the negative energy she had stored up all afternoon out of her.

Her thoughts were equally furious and confusing. She hated Drew. She had long disliked him, in a sense, as her rival, but for the first time, she really felt like she _hated_ him. But that was only because her heart was broken, and that made little sense. How could her heart be broken over someone she "hated"?

May eventually did drain herself of her tears and of her grief—at least some of it. She raised her head again and wiped away another few stray tears with the palm of her hand. She needed to pull herself together. Once the appeals round finished, the battles would begin soon after, and May was certain of her advancement. She would _not_ face her first opponent an emotional wreck.

At a glance in the mirror, May shuddered a little. Red and swollen eyes aside, her make-up was a mess. Her mascara had run, some of the foundation she applied had washed off, and her lipstick had faded. She needed to re-do all of it if she was going to be presentable on stage. May slowly stood up again, careful not to send her head spinning—she was probably a little dehydrated—and headed toward her assigned stall.

May threw open the door, pulled her key out of her shirt, and fumbled with it for a moment before opening the locker with her purse inside. She pulled out her make-up bag and, with her compact mirror, began to fix herself up again.

Just as May was in the middle of re-applying her lipstick—a bright red that matched her outfit—there was a knock at her stall door.

"May, are you in there?"

May snapped the cap onto her lipstick tube.

"Go away," she growled.

Drew ignored the order and asked, "Are you decent?"

"This is the ladies' dressing room, Drew."

"Hence, the question: Are you decent?"

May threw her make-up bag back into her locker and purposefully slammed it shut. She wanted him to hear how mad she was, maybe so he would feel deterred and just leave. Still, she answered, "Yes," knowing full well it would, quite literally, open the door to them talking.

Drew undid the latch and slid inside. With only one look at her, he—with softened eyes and a twinge of guilt in his voice—said, "You've been crying."

"I have not," May indignantly replied.

"I was an ass," Drew said. The admission was enough to disarm May from wanting to throw him out. She folded her arms and looked at him expectantly. He continued, "Cards on the table: I haven't earned any ribbons in Kalos. Hearing you already had one, it put me on the defensive."

"Yeah, I eventually figured as much," May mumbled.

"You were right to call me out on the way I've been treating you," Drew went on. "I'm sorry."

The apology dissolved more of May's antagonism, though not all of it. She uncrossed her arms and sucked in her breath before saying, "It's just—this isn't the only time this has happened. We've been playing this game for years now, where one moment we're all into each other and the next we're giving the cold shoulder. Our rivalry wasn't even this bitter when we first met. I'm tired of it."

"I know," Drew said.

"Do you, though?" May questioned. "I mean, it seems we should have figured this out a long time ago."

"I _do_ get it," Drew pushed back. "But our relationship is difficult to navigate. I don't know whether we should be rivals or friends or—" He faltered for a moment. "—or something more."

"I don't see why we can't be all those things," May argued. Drew tightened his lips and didn't reply. May didn't need him to, though, because she saw his response written all over his face. "Well, fine," she snapped. "When you figure out what you want us to be, feel free to let me know, but in the meantime, I've got a contest to—"

The remainder of that sentence was swallowed up by his mouth against hers. While she was in the middle of speaking, he had grabbed her face and tilted it up for him to kiss her—long and hard. May was surprised at first, but when she regained her senses, she laid her hands atop his and deepened their kiss.

There was only one other time they had kissed like this. It was two years ago after the Sinnoh Grand Festival. May had won against Harley and become a Top Coordinator. Drew, who had lost to May in the previous round, met her backstage and she swept him into a passion-riddled, celebratory kiss. They were both Top Coordinators then, him having earned his title at the Johto Grand Festival several years earlier.

May moved her hands to the back of Drew's neck and pressed herself fully against him. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew it was a not-great idea to be making out with her rival backstage, but she was so emotionally wrought after all he had put her through that day that she was willing to ride out whatever this was. Then she felt something hard press against her thigh, and Drew abruptly grabbed her wrists and forced her a couple inches away from him before kissing her—more forcefully—again.

What was that about? Drew was still kissing her, but he was also now keeping her at an arm's length. There was something additionally nervous and fumbling in his demeanor, in the way he was now holding her. It was then that realization struck May, and when they broke apart, she briefly glanced down.

Oh.

 _Oh_.

May quickly kissed Drew again because she now understood, because she didn't know what else to do either. For all the romantic history they shared, _this_ had never been a part of the narrative, and May was inwardly panicking. He was—he was _hard_? Because of her? She was clueless as to what she should do, so she just kept kissing him until she could figure it out. He was probably doing the same.

The longer this went on, however, the worse the problem became. Drew accidentally bumped against May again, and their kisses grew more frenetic. May wondered if she should break away and _act_ oblivious, making up some excuse about needing to get ready for the battle round while he went and—and took care of himself.

Yes, that was it. That was the solution. She'd pull back and say that it probably wasn't a good idea for them to be doing this here (which was true) and add that they both needed to get ready for their battles. The appeals round would probably end in another fifteen or twenty minutes. May rehearsed her lines several times, convinced that once this was over, she could make herself content to pretend the whole thing never happened.

"Um… Drew…" May breathed shakily. When she looked at him, however, he realized he _wasn't_ looking at her. His face was a bright red color, and his eyes were averted. She had seen him blush before but never quite like that; he was deeply embarrassed. May swallowed. "Drew… I…"

His gaze connected with May's again, and she suddenly forgot everything she was going to say. His eyes had always been stunning, but they seemed especially gorgeous now, _here_ , in this situation, where he felt just as vulnerable and unsure as her, if not moreso. The connection sent an electric thrill through May's system.

 _Oh no_.

May continued to sputter out words, trying to form the coherent excuses she had so perfectly devised in her mind. Eventually, she gave up. It was hopeless. He knew. She knew. He knew that she knew, and so they froze, staring helplessly at each other for the help that neither could provide. Drew sucked in a shaky breath and tried to speak.

"May…" he started.

"Y-Yeah?" she stammered. Drew lifted a hand and, though hesitating, reached out to brush a loose strand of hair out of her face. After doing so, his hand rested lightly on her cheek, cupping it.

"You really do… look nice in that dress," he said.

May's breath hitched in her throat, and if there was a question of whether "swooning" ever really happened, she proved it did. There was something in the way he said it, combined with something in the way he looked at her and and something in the way he touched her, that rendered May utterly besotted. She delicately traced a finger down his jawline before kissing him again.

This time, neither she nor Drew made no effort to maintain a space between them—and so the accidental collisions between herself and Drew became more frequent, and at every slight conjunction, May inhaled a sharp, thrilled breath. There was no graceful way to escape the situation any longer; they were in this, whatever it would be, together.

May squeaked when Drew lifted her up—she had no idea he could _do_ that—and placed her on the wooden hand bar attached to the left side of the stall. The new position was initially unstable for May, but then Drew pinned her to the wall, securing her. Her legs naturally spread open as Drew moved closer to her. May couldn't help but gasp. She realized this was his intention: better access.

Drew kissed her again, and it started to dawn on May what was really happening. They were going to do this? Here? _Now_? In the middle of a contest? A distant, sensible part of her brain kept repeating the words " _bad idea_ " over and over again, even as she kissed him back, but her sensual half—which was, admittedly, more strong than May thought—urged her forward. She didn't _want_ to stop now, and she sensed he didn't either.

Still, while May had made herself okay with the position they were in and was working on feeling the same in terms of where they were going, she had no idea how to _advance_ what they were doing. And even if she did, she might have felt too anxious to do so. She was a bundle of nerves, her mind and her stomach were a jumble of emotions, and for the time being, she was content to act on instinct or under Drew's lead. And in that moment, Drew began to _lead_ his hand up her shirt.

The tickle of his warm fingers against her spine caused May to inhale, loud and sharp. The noise must have intimidated Drew because his ascent suddenly stopped, and she felt his hand tremble. It reminded May that he was likely just as nervous as she was. Strangely, the thought gave her a boost in confidence, and she drew away from his lips with a shy smile before she reached for the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head. She discarded it on the ground and kissed him again.

May felt Drew smirk against her lips. Her brief moment of mettle had emboldened him, too. His hand moved to her back, where his apt fingers quickly found the clasps on her bra. His assurance could only carry him so far, however, as he struggled to undo them. His fumbling attempts endured long enough so that when he and May broke another kiss, he leaned his head into her bare shoulder, muttering some kind of cross between a curse and a grunt while he continued to fidget with the undergarment.

May let a breathy giggle slip past her lips before deciding he'd suffered enough. She reached behind her back and undid the clasps herself. The bra immediately began to slide off her shoulders and down her arms—and almost as immediate was the rising embarrassment May felt at suddenly being so _exposed_ in front of her rival. She hunched her shoulders forward in a lackluster attempt to conceal herself and averted her eyes.

Drew must have sensed her oncoming shyness, because he brushed his lips over hers and murmured, "It's fine. You're fine." He pressed his lips more firmly against hers in reassurance then moved to her neck. His hand was on her ribs again, though he still seemed uncertain about actually touching her. Regardless, the change in his attention sucked all the air out of May. That felt _nice_...

"E-Easy for you to say," she mumbled, regaining her breath. "You're fully clothed."

Drew halted his ministrations and pulled back, looking directly at May with a sort of blank expression. May felt her entire face heat up, realizing what she was suggesting. Still, she made no effort to correct herself.

"I mean… we could change that," Drew offered. May swallowed. She already felt nervous about being topless in front of him, but seeing him bare, too… Her heart was thumping so loudly in her chest she was afraid he would hear it. Although, if they were _really_ going to go through with this—and it increasingly seemed like they were—then he would have to strip down as well. But maybe not right now.

"Later," May decided in a small voice. She then grasped the wrist of his right hand, the one that still lingered barely beneath her chest. "But, um, first…" She started to edge his hand up. "... It's okay if you… you know..."

Drew's face was bright red again, as was May's. His hand was on her, and it was just… there. He didn't know what to do with it, and May didn't exactly know what she wanted him to do with it either. Nevertheless, she trembled to have another person touching her there. Drew then leaned in close, and his breath was warm across her cheek. "Where do you want me to touch you?" It sounded more like genuine question than a seductive provocation, but it had the same effect on May regardless.

"I-I don't know," May answered honestly. This was all so new to her, and she didn't know how to respond. "Anywhere, I guess." She thought for another moment, then added, "I'll just… tell you if I don't like something."

"Okay," Drew agreed with a little nod. He leaned in to kiss her once more. May made a contented noise. If nothing else, she really did like being kissed by him.

After another moment or so, she felt Drew's hand slide down from her chest and rest on her thigh. From there, it began to inch precariously up the skirt of her dress. May's chest tightened as she realized where he was headed. Drew noticed the change and asked, carefully, "Are you fine with this?"

"I…" May stopped, then wrapped her arms around his shoulders and rested her head near the crook of his neck. She didn't realize until she gave the answer that followed, but she was physically steeling herself for what was coming. "Yes."

Drew didn't hesitate then. He affectionately rested his free hand atop her head while the other hand completed its journey. At his touch, May let out a shuddery breath, and she wrapped her arms tighter around him, her mind descending into a disbelieving daze. She was enjoying this, but she remained nervous. The only reason she knew this was real was because she could never invent such intense sensations in her own mind.

Despite the gathering fog in May's head, it occurred to her that this entire time, Drew had been doing things to make her feel nice, but she had yet to do the same for him. May sucked in her breath. It was time. She unraveled an arm from his shoulder, then moved her hand down.

Drew tensed up, let out a hissing sigh, and leaned his head forward. May quickly pulled her hand back.

"Sorry," she apologized.

"N-No, you're fine," Drew managed. "I just wasn't expecting it."

"Should I… keep going then?" May asked hesitantly. Drew pulled his head back and smirked at her; he had evidently composed himself.

"Yeah," he said. Drew began to rub her again, and May followed suit. She had no idea whether what she was doing actually felt good or not, but based on his initial reaction, he had to at least be feeling _something_.

Eventually, May, deciding she needed to help move things along, reached up and tugged at his belt. She was too dizzied from his attentions to actually figure out how to undo it herself, but luckily, Drew got the message. He temporarily stopped what he was doing just to unbuckle himself and pull the belt out. He dropped it on the ground, and his pants began to sag down. They didn't stop there. After another moment, May hooked her fingers into the sides of his boxers. Drew made direct eye contact with her, then rested one of his hands atop hers—his other hand was still responsible for keeping May secure on the hand bar—and together, they slowly pulled his boxers down, never breaking eye contact.

Once the boxers had dropped to his ankles however, May suddenly found herself nervous to look down. She had never seen a guy like this before, aside from maybe some diagrams or pictures, and she was about to see, of all people, Drew. Her rival, her friend, her… clearly something more than just a friend, since they had just spent the past five minutes getting acquainted with the most intimate parts of each other.

Drew pressed his lips against May's collarbone, and May took this as an opportunity for her to look at him without him, well, blatantly watching. May reached out and grasped him, and she felt him gasp against her skin. She inhaled a little sharply herself, though the sensation for her was not quite the same. Almost as if it were in retaliation, Drew kissed her lips hard, then pushed her underwear to the side. The noise May made was audible, more audible than anything they had made in their session.

"H-Hey!" Drew exclaimed, pulling back. May caught her breath again and looked at him. She could see that his index finger was coated in a thin sheen of… herself. The thought made May feel strange.

"Sorry. I should've asked first," Drew added.

"I-It's okay," May assured him with a smile. "I just wasn't expecting it either."

"Uh, right. Well…" Drew coughed. "Let's just… keep it down."

"Yeah," May agreed with a shy nod. She didn't even _want_ to think about getting caught—but even so, the fear of being discovered wasn't enough to deter her from continuing. She timidly looked off to the side before adding, "I liked that, though, so…"

She was embarrassed to say it, partially because she worried Drew would grow arrogant and tease her for it—but she talked herself out of these thoughts. Tease her? He was half-naked too! And he seemed to be liking some of the things she was doing to him, so it _had_ to be in his better interests not to go down the mocking route. Her final decision paid off because, although Drew did smirk again—inevitable, as May knew that she was, on some level, feeding into his ego—this time, he slid _two_ of his digits into her.

May squirmed but managed to stay quiet. She also managed to grasp him again, and Drew reacted with a restrained enthusiasm. He kissed her once, then pulled back, panting. He was too breathless to keep kissing her, for which May was a little disappointed; yet, at the same time, she took a little pride in knowing she had relegated him to that state.

"M-May," he abruptly choked out her name. "If we keep going like this, I'll… if we want to… it has to be now." Despite the winded fragments of his speech, May understood what he meant well. Her heart rate accelerated, and she drew her hand back.

"N-Now?" she stammered.

"Now," Drew affirmed, nodding. "Only if you want to."

May nodded with him, then closed her eyes and sucked in her breath. Drew was giving her the option of walking away from this. They could just finish each other here, or they could take this all the way and—and what? What would happen afterward? What would change? If they went through with this, then there would be no turning back, would there? She couldn't just be a rival or a friend or a "nice girl" to him and vice versa. He— _they_ —would have to own up the consequences of taking their relationship down such an intimate road. They were already responsible for everything that had happened thus far.

On the exhale, May opened her eyes again. "I want to," she said.

"Are you sure?" Drew asked. May wrapped both of her arms around his neck again.

"Yes," she said.

"Okay, let me just…" He gently eased her off the hand bar, then bent down and rifled around in his pants for something. May watched curiously and saw him eventually locate his wallet. From it, he pulled out a single condom.

"O-Oh. Right…" May said, her voice trailing off. She hadn't even been thinking about that, but she sure was glad Drew did.

She continued to watch as he tore the edge of the package, and May blinked when she realized she recognized the label. It had the Association of Pokémon Coordinators' logo printed on it. People handed them outside the dormitories at every Grand Festival. She could tell from the coloring that the one he had was from the recent one in Hoenn, and the thought flustered May. How long had Drew had this very moment on his mind?

Drew rolled the latex over himself, then turned to May, gently lifting her back onto hand bar. Her legs spread apart for him again as he leaned in close to her, asking in a low rumble, "Are you really sure about this?"

May leaned her forehead against his and wrapped her arms around him once more. "Yeah," she said. "Just… go slow at first, okay?"

"Okay," Drew agreed. He hiked up her skirt, slid her underwear down past her legs, and leaned forward. May twitched with anticipation and buried her face into the crook of his neck, inhaling deeply. With the assistance of his hand, he lined himself up with her and began to push his way inside.

May squeezed her eyes shut and wrapped her arms tighter around him, whining a little as she felt herself stretch to accommodate him. He held to his word and went at an agonizingly slow pace, and in retrospect, May wondered if she _actually_ should have told him to do it fast, like someone would do when ripping off a band-aid.

Drew stopped moving. May opened her eyes and looked down. She then drew in a shaky breath, her heart thrumming. Here they were. They were doing this. They were together now, closer than they ever had been with each other before, closer than either had ever been with _anyone_ before. May took a moment to gather her bearings. Having him inside her, it felt a little uncomfortable, but it wasn't especially _painful_. It actually felt kind of nice, in a weird way. She could be okay with this.

She looked at Drew next and perked up when she saw his eyes closed and teeth gritted. "A-Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," he managed. "It just feels… you feel…" He couldn't supply the end of that sentence with an appropriate adjective, so he just left it hanging there. "I should be asking you the same question."

"I'm fine," May replied. "Just… uhm…"

"Just what?" Drew asked.

"Just… waiting, I guess," May answered, her face pinking a little.

Drew managed a small, breathy laugh. "Right. Okay," he said.

The slow, grinding friction that followed rendered May breathless. It was still uncomfortable, but the overall sensation felt pretty good. He repeated the motion unevenly several times over; some strokes felt better than others, some hurt more than others, but May voiced no complaints as she pulled Drew in for a deep kiss.

"You… You can start to go faster," May panted after releasing him. He nodded against her—words weren't coming well to him at the moment—and started to increase his pace, eliciting a moan from May.

"Shh, shhh," Drew gently hushed her, brushing his lips over her jawline. His movements had indeed become faster but also more erratic. There was a greater range between what felt good and what, well, didn't feel as good—but then Drew landed a stroke that felt _really good_ , and May inhaled sharply in response.

"Just—! Just like that," she gasped out, willing him to do nothing different.

"O-Okay," Drew agreed, attempting to focus. His thrusts became more uniform, more purposeful, and finally, he established the semblance of a rhythm. May stifled another moan, leaning into Drew's shoulder. What had started out as mildly uncomfortable and only sort of nice had evolved into something that felt _very, very good_ , and May sensed a heat, a pressure, pooling in her lower abdomen.

"May, I'm—I'm close," Drew said.

"I-I think I am too," May said. "Keep going, just for a little longer." She heard Drew swallow and saw him nod, still trying to keep their rhythm going—but the closer he inched toward climax, the more erratic his movements became once again. It didn't matter much to May at that point, however; he had her heated, and every stroke, no matter how inconsistent, steadily moved her toward a climax as well. Come on, _come on_. She _had_ to be close. She had _never_ felt a pressure this intense before, and she ached for a resolution.

Finally, relief. With a strangled gasp, the pressure inside her buckled, and May's entire body trembled before she practically collapsed against Drew. With a few more jagged thrusts, Drew finished as well.

May hung over him limply, and Drew wrapped an arm around her waist to prevent her from falling off the bar as they both tried to catch their breath. Regathering herself, May pulled her head back to look at Drew. His face was flushed, and he had perspired a little. May gently brushed some of his long, slightly damp bangs out of his eyes before lightly pecking him on the lips.

"That was…" Drew started, though words once again failed him.

"Yeah," May agreed, understanding his sentiment regardless.

They were still connected. Drew carefully pulled out of her then helped ease her to the ground. May couldn't help but look at him with some degree of fascination. _He_ had been inside her. They'd been…

Marion's announcement rang clear over the PA: " _And that brings the appeals round to a close, ladies and gentlemen! Stay tuned, for in a couple minutes, the matchups for the first battle round will be on screen!_ "

May and Drew froze, staring at each other wide-eyed as reality struck them. They were in the middle of a contest. They were about to be called to the stage for battles. There was no time to waste anymore.

Drew hastily pulled off his used condom and discarded it in a small pink trash can in the corner before pulling back up his boxers and pants. May searched after and located her bra and the top half to her dress to quickly reassemble her outfit.

"Don't forget this." May looked up and saw her underwear hanging precariously off one of Drew's fingers.

"T-Thanks." May snatched it from him and clumsily slid it back over her thighs. She shuddered a little when she snapped it back into place, though. She was all _sticky_ right there, and it was an unpleasant feeling. May sorely wished she had a fresh pair she could use instead because she was _not_ going on stage with nothing at all down under.

May looked up at Drew again, and her breath hitched in her throat. "Oh!" she exclaimed. Drew blinked as May turned and opened up her locker again to rummage through her purse. She pulled out a pack of wipes and turned back to him. "Sorry. I sort of got my lipstick all over you."

Drew blinked again, pressed his hand against his lips and pulled it back in front of him to confirm that, indeed, there were faint stains of red on his fingertips. He smirked at her just as she lifted a wipe to clean some of it off.

"Probably be suspicious if I went out like this, huh?" he said.

"P-Probably," May nervously laughed. She was glad he was joking at least. It broke some of the tension. When finished, May discarded the wipe as well.

Drew's expression grew more serious then. "We shouldn't leave at the same time," he said.

"Right," May agreed.

"I'll go first," Drew went on. "In a couple minutes, you can go out, too."

May nodded at him but said nothing. Drew ran his fingers through his hair a few times to make himself look presentable then glanced at May one last time. She smiled crookedly and leaned forward expectantly, but he left in a hurry.

May blinked. Did he miss her cue? After all that, not even a kiss? A simple peck on the lips or even the cheek would have been nice. Then again, May inwardly conceded, she had never been in a situation like this one before, and she wasn't sure what the… protocol was. Still, his sudden departure left her feeling empty in lieu of the intimacy they had just shared.

May sank to the bench on the right side of the stall. Maybe it was a good thing he left first. She needed some time to think, some time process what had just happened. Were it not for the stickiness between her thighs, she would have been tempted to believe the whole encounter was a water-starved delusion she had invented in her own grief.

Water.

Arceus, she was thirsty. Not only that, a full pain was throbbing behind her eyes. Her crying from earlier was catching up to her. May staggered to her feet again and finally headed out of her stall. She found a nearby drinking fountain and pulled the lever. The water was so cold that her teeth stung, but it provided much-needed relief to her burning throat.

May stopped and leaned against the fountain. She needed to pull herself together. The battles were about to begin. She needed to go back to the main backstage area to learn who her opponent was. The thought of going out there, surrounded by dozens of other trainers, when she'd just… when she _and Drew_ had just… and to make matters worse, Drew would be out there, too, and they'd have to pretend nothing between them had happened at all. Would she even be able to look at him without feeling like melting into a puddle of goopy, anxious feelings? He'd seen her naked! He'd seen her—

May took in a shaky breath, trying to calm her nerves. " _Pull yourself together_ ," she told herself repeatedly. She went into this contest wanting to start a winning streak for herself. She just needed to find that resolve again.

May finally headed back out into the main backstage area. She walked stiffly, paranoid that others would be watching—that they would see right through her, that they would know what she had done.

No one gave her a second glance—except one. She saw Drew standing several feet away, his gaze locked onto her. He was still a little flushed but had mostly put himself back together. They made eye contact, and May wanted to smile, but she felt too nervous to do so—which was okay, because Drew flicked his gaze back toward the television screen, awaiting the matchups.

May let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding. It was fine. Everything was fine. She could do this. She just needed to get her head back in the game.

" _Okay ladies and gentlemen, the sixteen coordinators moving onto the first round of battles are on screen!_ "

With a small smile, May turned toward her own nearby television screen—and promptly felt her heart drop into the pit of her stomach.

 _Oh no_.

Her gaze immediately darted back across the room toward Drew. He was staring back at her with equally wide eyes. May felt her knees start to weaken. She and Drew would be the first pair to face off in battle.


	3. III: Consequence

**Part III: Consequence**

May remembered her first contest well. She remembered standing off stage, terrified to go before the audience, terrified she would throw up or pass out or embarrass herself the moment she stepped into the spotlight. Her anxiety was worsened by the fact that she knew Drew, that arrogant boy she had met on the beach only days before, was watching her.

This was just like that, but worse.

May's breath was labored. She was on the edge of panic. She had always felt a little nervous before any battle—and especially in battles versus Drew—but now, she felt lightheaded and like her knees would give way any moment. How could she face him _now_ of all times? How could she share the same stage with him in front of thousands of audience members? How could she preserve her own dignity?

May's name was called. She sucked in her breath and closed her eyes. _Focus, focus, focus_. She had to be strong, if not for her, then at least for Blaziken. Yet, when she shut her eyes, all she could see was the keen emerald gaze of her rival locked onto her as he held her against the wall of her dressing stall, slowly moving in and out of her.

 _Focus, focus, focus_. For Blaziken, for the ribbon, for her win streak. Trembling, May moved onto the stage and came face to face with Drew across the field to the cheers of an enormous crowd. Though he was far, she tried to get a read on his expression—but nothing. She could discern no emotion there.

May inhaled deeply through her nose and let out a shaky breath on the exhale. She would win this. She _had_ to win this. Her grip on Blaziken's Poké Ball tightened.

"Blaziken, take the stage!"

Her companion emerged in a field of… bubbles? May looked on with confusion, then felt a rock drop into the pit of her stomach. _She put the wrong seal on_. She had another Flame Seal, and she had put on one of the Foamy Seals she used for Wartortle instead. The battle hadn't even started yet, and she had already messed up.

"Roserade, let's go!"

In the midst of May's own panic, she mentally stumbled. Roserade had no seal. Drew hadn't applied one. She looked at him again and, this time, she could see a genuine expression of bewilderment on his face. She had put the wrong seal on, but he had evidently forgot to put one on at all.

Miriam was making some type of commentary that May couldn't quite hear, but she imagined it had with the the odd seal choices—or lack thereof—of both competitors. May re-centered herself. This was still salvageable. She just had to come out strong.

"Blaziken, use Sky Uppercut!" she ordered. Blaziken's claws glowed a hot white as he charged across the field and struck Roserade—but it was glancing blow.

May inwardly withered. _Stupid_. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Roserade was a _Grass-type_. A Fighting-type attack like Sky Uppercut wasn't going to do much of anything. What a dumb decision. If she wanted to start out with a show of power, she should have gone with a Fire-type move of course.

"Solar Beam!" May was so stuck in her own thoughts that she barely missed calling for Blaziken to dodge. May ground her teeth. She could still save this, she told herself, repeating the same sentiment from earlier.

"Overheat!" May cried. The attack was devastating: Roserade took a direct hit, and at a type disadvantage, she had suffered a lot of damage. Still, even when the smoke cleared, Roserade was still standing. May gritted her teeth again, though she expected this. Drew had trained his Roserade well, even to withstand Fire-type attacks.

"Bounce back, Roserade! Use Mega Drain!" Drew ordered. Roserade brandished both of her flowers forward, and from them a green, glowing energy shot forth and struck Blaziken. Blaziken cried out and fell to his knees while Roserade stood tall again.

"Don't give up Blaziken! Try Flamethrower!" Blaziken staggered to his feet, but the flames that spewed from his beak were weak in comparison to every other fiery showing he'd had that day. May's breath caught in her throat.

It was a mistake, using Overheat so early. The move decreased Blaziken's subsequent special attacks, so no Fire-type move would ever be quite as powerful. May was mentally hitting herself over the head. She should've started with Flamethrower _first_ and then gone to Overheat. Drew had capitalized on Blaziken's weakened state, drawing out further life from him using Mega Drain—and using it again, May was certain, would bring the battle that much closer to an end.

"Solar Beam!"

May blinked. _Solar Beam?_ Mega Drain. Clearly Mega Drain would have been the better choice, so he could exhaust more of Blaziken's energy then strike a final blow with Solar Beam. But Solar Beam now? It would still be relatively easy to dodge. Was Drew using a different strategy that she hadn't cracked? Did he just feel bad for her because they'd… ? Or was it another mistake?

"Dodge, Blaziken!" The Fire-type dove out of the way just in time. "Now, Flamethrower again!" Avoiding the Solar Beam attack had given Blaziken a little time to recover, and his Flamethrower had regained some of its power. Yet, Roserade still withstood the attack. May chewed on her bottom lip and glanced at the screen. Drew was ahead of her point-wise, barely. She needed to turn this around.

"Mega Drain!"

Drew had reverted back to what May suspected should have been his initial strategy, but she had no plan to counter—and so it just happened. More of her points drained from her bar. She was nearly at zero.

"Solar Beam!" Drew immediately followed.

"Overheat!" May desperately called back, unsure what else to do. Both forces collided in the center of the field. Overheat, though technically the more powerful move, could not overcome the Solar Beam with Blaziken's loss of energy, and the attacks fizzled out.

The timer met its end. May jerked her head toward the screen, and her heart fell. Ultimately, she did not overtake Drew in points. He was the winner. The crowd cheered for his victory, though their reaction seemed subdued. Across the field, Roserade glanced back at her trainer with dissatisfaction, and Drew closed his eyes, sighing. May hardly noticed that, though, as she called Blaziken back to her.

"I'm sorry," she apologized to him. "I was off my game, and I let us both down."

She brought him back into his Poké Ball and left the Contest Hall in a hurry. She couldn't bear to see how it ended; more importantly, she couldn't bear to face Drew again.

* * *

May cried when she returned to her room in the Pokémon Center. She had started tearing up even before she had left the Contest Hall, but it was when she found herself totally alone that she really began to _cry_.

May threw herself down onto her bed and let out a sob. She was humiliated. That had to have been her worst showing since her days as a rookie. She made every possible mistake, and there was nothing at all impressive in her performance to at least ameliorate the egregiousness of her errors.

Worse, her head was pounding again with dehydration, and she was feeling sore between her legs. The dull pain reminded her of everything that had happened earlier that afternoon, and she felt a hard knot form in her lower abdomen for it. She and Drew had sex. She had sex, for the very first time, with her rival. And the emotional toll had cost her victory. How could she be so _stupid_?

May lifted her head and wiped at her eyes. Her mascara smeared across her fingertips. It was the second time she had ruined her make-up that day, but she didn't care. She did not plan on going out again that evening. In fact, she wanted a shower, badly. She had been feeling gross with sweat and… stickiness… since her and Drew's earlier session. She dragged herself off her bed and into the private bathroom.

May turned on the water—scalding hot—and waited for it to heat up. In the meantime, she pulled down her skirt and underwear, shivering with revulsion as she did. The gooeyness in her underwear had only half-dried since that afternoon, making her feel even more gross. She pulled off her top next and tossed it carelessly to the side before stepping into the burning warmth of her shower.

She distracted herself with her routine, initially. Shampoo her hair. Condition her hair. Shave her legs. Wash her face. Rinse, lather, repeat. But as she started to run out of steps to take, May knew she would have to confront the thoughts burdening the back of her mind. After May rinsed the last bit of soap away, she sank to the bottom of the tub and just sat there hugging her knees, unwilling to move, unwilling to leave the comfort of the tub.

She and Drew. _That_ had happened. They had crossed a line they could never uncross. In the heat of the moment, with the way he was making her _feel_ and the way he was making her _act_ , she had thought she was prepared to deal with the consequences of what happened afterward—but not if the consequences were this: a sniffling emotional wreck pruning in the tub of a shower. She felt quite pathetic.

Her and Drew's relationship had been fraught with romantic and antagonistic complexities for a long time, of course. May had long ago acknowledged to herself that she sort of, maybe, wanted them to enter a relationship together. That "sort of, maybe" had always been the one thing holding them back after all their years flirting with becoming a proper couple, though.

She valued their rivalry. She valued how he could light a fire under her, how he pushed her to be better, to perform better. She knew he valued the same. Neither, May was certain, would have ever become a Top Coordinator without the other to motivate them. So the question always was: Would becoming romantically involved, officially, interfere with their rivalry and, by extension, their growth as trainers?

May wanted to believe no. She wanted to believe they could strike that balance between being friends and rivals and lovers. But she waffled just as much as Drew on the answer, hence why for years they could share a kiss one night, then fight the next day and disappear for two weeks until they ran into each other at the next contest.

This was no simple kiss, though. This wasn't even a make-out session that had grown a little heated (they'd had one or two of those, too). Getting _turned on_ , to put it delicately, had been an accident, but what followed was a series of purposeful decisions that led to her being pressed up against a wall with him deep inside her. There was no ignoring that or playfully pretending it hadn't happened.

May finally turned off the water. She was hungry. The only things she had eaten all day were a breakfast sandwich from one of the local cafés and that stupid Lumiose Galette. She still didn't want to go out, but she would at least get something from the Pokémon Center cafeteria. She dried off and threw on some much-desired freshly laundered clothing—something comfortable.

It was nearly 4:30 p.m. The contest would most definitely be over by now, May figured; she had sat the shower for an absurdly long time. She didn't want to check the results, though. She didn't want to know who won. Or, really, she didn't want to know if it was Drew who won. Maybe it was petty, but it would make her heart hurt to know Drew had succeeded when she had failed so miserably.

Just as she had towelled off her hair and put it into a damp ponytail, May heard a knock at the door. May blinked and looked its way.

"Yes?" May inquired, wondering if it was room service.

" _May, it's me._ "

May's breath caught, and she felt her blood run cold. She sorely wished she hadn't said anything, that she had pretended she wasn't there. _Doy_ , of course it wasn't room service—it was late afternoon! She didn't want to talk to Drew. She wasn't ready. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to do.

Still, he knew she was there now, and there was nothing she could do about it. May sucked in her breath. "It's unlocked. You can come in.

Drew did so. May immediately noticed that he looked like a mess—ruffled hair, ruffled clothes, a grim expression. He was still in his outfit from the contest. He had probably come straight from the Contest Hall to see her. May wasn't sure what to make of that.

"I… I tried to find you after our battle," he said.

"I left," May said.

"Oh."

Silence. A deadly, uncomfortable silence. Neither were able to look each other fully in the eye. Her eyes were watching his hands instead as he leaned back against a table across from her bed, gripping the edges. She couldn't tell exactly what he was looking at, but it definitely wasn't anything above her waist. Eventually, Drew did clear his throat to speak again.

"We should talk about what happened this afternoon," he said.

May swallowed and nodded. "Yeah," she agreed. She sat down on the edge of the bed, hugging herself. She still couldn't make herself look him in the face.

"I didn't mean for any of that to happen," Drew went on. May said nothing, but she felt her chest hurt, though she couldn't quite explain why. "I got carried away. I think we probably both did."

It sounded like a break-up for a relationship that never really existed, May bitterly thought. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply but still said nothing. When she opened her eyes again, she looked at Drew with a low, indirect gaze. She could tell he was struggling with his words and probably wanted her to say something, too _._

"I guess," was all May could manage. It was an utterly unhelpful response, she knew. Drew floundered more.

"Well, I just… I... I don't know, I don't want what happened to get in the way of anything," he continued. "I know it's been difficult between you and I for a long time, but I want to finally resolve this… this thing and move forward."

Something unexpectedly snapped inside May. She hadn't known what she'd wanted to say or even what she'd just wanted— _until_ he said that. She remembered with perfect clarity what had run through her mind right before she'd consented to him; she remembered believing, _finally_ , there was no way they could return to the status quo. Apparently, he thought differently.

May looked at him in the eye now incredulously.

"Oh, right, I see now," she said venomously.

"What?" Drew looked confused.

"Now that you've got _fucking me_ out of your system, we can just let everything go back to normal." The curse rang out like a gunshot, and it jolted both of them—May most of all. She _never_ spoke like that, and it startled her more than it did Drew, whom she was pretty sure had never heard her ever say anything even remotely crass. It was almost like another person was speaking, and it caused her voice to break even as she angrily went on. "Well, too bad! You can't take it back. It can't ever be normal again!"

Arceus, she was crying again. She hated that she was crying again and especially that she was crying _now_ when she really just wanted to show Drew how furious she felt.

" _What?!_ " Drew blanched. "No!" He hurriedly crossed to her side and tried to grasp her shoulders, but she jerked away from his touch. "No, it's isn't like that at all! That's not what I meant."

She wasn't willing to listen yet, so she spat out, "Fine, so let's just become rivals-with-benefits so you can keep crushing me in battle and breezing through your contest career!"

Now it was Drew's turn to look incredulous.

"May, I _lost_ ," he emphasized, "to a _rookie._ "

The whirlwind of emotion in May's head came to a screeching halt. "You what?" she asked.

Drew smiled weakly, resting his hand atop hers. "I was matched up with Anaïs Laurent in the second round. She decimated me. It was pretty bad." May was stunned, and she said nothing. Drew stood up only briefly to move to the spot on the bed beside May, still holding her hand. "Maybe you didn't notice, but I wasn't exactly in prime form during our battle. Roserade was disappointed with me. Then after I couldn't find you after the battle to talk, I became worse, and it showed."

May's lips twitched into a weak smile, too. "Did you forget a seal again?" she managed a little tease.

"Ha ha, no," Drew said dryly. "I remembered to put on a seal that time. You don't have much room to speak anyway, Ms. Bubbles. Although, you probably did come out on top today out of the two of us. If you thought you were embarrassing, trust me, you should watch the playback on the second round."

"I'd have to disagree, because apparently, I lost to the guy who lost to a rookie," May said.

"Well, that _is_ true."

They both laughed then. May turned her hand up so Drew could lace his fingers through hers. She leaned against his shoulder, and Drew rested his head atop hers, both enjoying the moment of respite. May had finally calmed down and was ready to talk, for real. And Drew, May noted, seemed more at ease and more able to find the right words to say.

"I was thinking about what you said earlier today," he began again after a little while, "about why isn't it possible that we can be rivals and friends and something more at the same time."

May let out a short breath. "Well, clearly, we proved we can't handle it," she said.

"No, I think you were right the first time," Drew disagreed. "There isn't any reason why we can't be all three at once."

"Other than it makes us terrible coordinators?"

"Just listen," Drew said, a little exasperated. "What happened… us having sex—" He finally said the word. "—we might not have intended for it to have happened _right then_ , but I think it was inevitable that it did. It was the result of years of us not dealing with… our feelings for each other, and it finally just came to a boiling point. And we lost our heads because of it."

May nodded against him, agreeing.

"But I think we can get this right, and it won't ever have to be that way again," he continued. May shyly looked up at him, their gazes connecting. His eyes were a gorgeous forest green in the dimming light, and May felt her heart beat just a little faster. Drew tightened his hold on her hand before finishing, "I _want_ us to be together."

"I do, too," May admitted.

"Then let's make it official."

"And how do you propose we do that?" May asked, her voice dropping lower.

"Oh come on May, _at least_ let me take you on a date before we go for a second round," Drew teased.

May almost looked offended. "I wasn't—" she blustered. "I didn't mean—" She stopped herself, turning red in the face while Drew stifled a laugh. "I wasn't _implying_ that, but I did enjoy myself and—and—"

Drew hushed her. "Hey, it's fine. I enjoyed it, too," he said. "I was just making fun." May was still blushing hard and pouting, so Drew smiled, stood up, and pulled her to her feet as well, now holding both her hands in his. "So, dinner?"

May regathered herself. "That would be nice, actually," she said. "I _am_ hungry." Now that they were on the same page with him admitting he liked the sex, too, May felt more comfortable in adding, "Besides, we can always come back here afterward."

Now Drew was blushing. "Y-Yeah, I suppose we can," he said. It was at that point May leaned forward and captured the kiss she had been missing all afternoon, ever since he had left the dressing stall. She was pleased that Drew eagerly reciprocated, feeling him smile against her lips.

"So what do you have in mind for food?" Drew asked after they broke apart.

May hummed thoughtfully. "Those Lumiose Galettes were pretty good," she said.

"Again?"

"What do you mean _again_? You barely ate yours!"

"Let's call it dessert."

"I _knew_ you just came over to see me," May said smugly.

"And aren't you glad I did?" Drew replied, equally smug. "'Cause none of this would have probably happened today if I hadn't." They laughed again as May pulled him through the door, now certain they were prepared to face whatever consequences their new relationship would bring—together.

 **Fin.**

* * *

 **Note:** Thank you for reading! And yes, before anyone asks, I am still working on finishing _The Middleground_ and _The Ash Connection III_. I appreciate your ongoing support. A special thanks to my friends Kelly (kasuria) and Samia (captshirogane) for helping me edit and revise this story.


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